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Friday, July 25, 2014

Why I don't buy Haagen Dazs

Every once in a while it comes up that my family and I participate in the #nonestle boycott. That means we try very hard not to buy any products produced by Nestle. I say try because Nestle owns so many companies and buys more each year that it's hard to being 100% on top of what not to buy. Lots of label checking. Lots of remembering companies and brands that fall under their umbrella. It also means I can no longer buy Haagen Dazs (I actually dreamed about their ice cream the other night). We've been doing this for about 4 years.

There are a lot of reasons to not buy Nestle products and many, many people have written compelling editorial pieces about the danger the corporation poses, particularly to developing countries. From trying to patent a long-used herbal remedy to duping mothers without access to clean water into formula feeding, the ethical implications regarding Nestle's business practices should be a major cause for concern to citizens around the world.

In short, I boycott Nestle because Nestle is evil.

You want me to be more specific? Ok, since I began boycotting Nestle primarily for their formula pushing tactics that violate WHO codes, they decided to patent their findings on an herbal remedy used for centuries in India to reduce the danger of food allergies. I figure the best way to show you exactly what I mean is to send you to Nestle themselves. Here's their take on what they're doing.

According to them, we shouldn't be worried, because they aren't patenting the actual plant and that countries will have access to the plant under fair access. The only thing they're patenting is the findings of their scientific research and any uses related to those findings. So basically they heard about a plant that reduces the danger of food allergies, got a hold of some, ran some tests, came up with some fancy lab terms, and called it something new.

It's a lot like if I decided to run some lab work on why chocolate makes people feel happy, came up with all the scientific reasons, and then tried to patent those findings and their uses. Meaning no one could make chocolate for the purpose of giving pleasure.

There's a helluva lot of reasons to stop buying Nestle. In fact the boycott has been going strong since the 70s. Some people may say that proves it isn't working, but I look at it differently. Every year more people hear about the boycott, read up, and join. Nestle is one of the largest corporations in the world. In fact, it's the 3rd largest food processing company in the world. It's going to take some time. But by talking about and speaking out about, well, their evilness, bit by bit, one by one, maybe we can do something.

4 comments:

I stopped buying their stuff because of all of the chemicals they use. I didn't realize that they made Dreyers as well, but Ben and Jerry's is better so I will start buying that again. Wow, they are really evil for patenting the herb. I know traveling in Europe, I saw several boycots for their products but didn't take the time to check it all out. Thanks Gennifer!

the whole water (and everything else they do, really) thing is so ridiculous and truly scary. So many people all over the world are being negatively affected by Nestle in so many ways, that it maddens me when we say, oh it's not like me refusing to give them my money is going to make a difference. YES! yes it is. So many people in other countries have NO other alternatives. No choices. And we do. So when we continue to turn a blind eye, we are part of the problem. So, keep on ranting and spreading the word :)

We live on a world that is so nestled, skuze-the-pun, with CFCs, chemtrails, Monsanto... I learned to live with it till I upNdie HeeHee What can you do? Nthn. Only 2 realms after we perish, dear, and 1 of em aint too cool. Lemme fill-you-up withe avant-gardeness and wisdom necessary to achieve Seventh-Heaven, girl...

Wanna find-out the fax, Jak, in a wurld fulla MissKonceptions? Wanna wiseabove to help a 'Plethora Of Wurdz' which are look'n for a new home in your novelty?? Follow us...

Q: But [gulp] can anyone tell me the difference between K2 and IQ? A: Nthn. In Heaven, we gitt'm both for eternity HeeHee Need a few more thots, ideers, wild wurdz (whoa, Nelly! easy, girl) or ironclad iconoclasms?

VERBUM SAT SAPIENTI: As an ex-writer of the sassy, savvy, schizophenia we all go thro in this lifelong demise, I wanna help U.S. git past the ping-pong-politics, whorizontal more!ass! we're in (Latin: words to [the] wise)...

I actually saw Seventh-Heaven when we died: you couldn't GET! any moe curly, party-hardy-endorphins, extravagantly-surplus-lush Upstairs (in [the] end without end -Saint Augustine) when my o-so-beautifull, brilliant, bombastic girly passed-away due to those wry, sardonic satires.

"Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the expanse of the Heavens, and those who have instructed many in uprightousness as bright as stars for all eternity" -Daniel 12:3, NJB

Here's also what the prolific, exquisite GODy sed: 'the more you shall honor Me, the more I shall bless you' -the Infant Jesus of Prague.